Florence Prophete-Barbour is the executive director of Harbor Child Care, Inc. (Harbor). Harbor provides early care and education programs for Long Island’s youngest learners.  Harbor also offers before and after care services for children in the Glen Cove and New Hyde Park areas.

As executive director, Florence is the chief executive officer overseeing five centers and a team of almost 300 employees who serve approximately 1,000 students.

Furthermore, along with Harbor’s Board of Directors and executive team, she manages an annual budget of over 11 million dollars.  Previously, Florence was the senior director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development for Harbor Child Care, and before that center director of Harbor Child Care at RXR Plaza in Uniondale.

Florence has always been drawn to educating and the care of young children. At 18, she was a summer counselor at Little Red Train Private School.

From there, she went to Rutgers University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis on children’s mental and academic health.

After receiving a master’s degree in psychology and one in public administration from Adelphi University and Baruch College respectively, she received her license in School Supervision and Administration (now called School Building Leader) and worked as the director of early childhood programs providing services for children with developmental delays.

Moreover, her passion for supporting early learners is evident in the myriad of professional development opportunities she has facilitated over the years for parents, educators, and key stakeholders.

Continuously devoted to young children, Florence is on the Board of Directors of the Child Care Council of Nassau, and on the Leadership Team for the Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center, two organizations dedicated to the early childhood profession.

Moreover, Florence is an adjunct professor at Molloy University where she is also a doctoral candidate in their Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities program.

Elevating the education of young children is a priority and purpose for Florence. As a field that employs mostly women, this vocation is not valued as it would be if it were a male-dominated field.

The challenges are that this profession is underfunded, and its teachers are underpaid and undervalued. Florence’s goal is to continue to make key stakeholders aware of the importance of early care and learning, as well as the need to support an infrastructure that will honor our youngest learners and their families.

Florence’s joy is her family. Her husband Kevin and daughter Gabrielle are the lights of her life. When not at work or conducting her research, her favorite place is to be at home relaxing in the backyard with her family.